Tracing change in World Cultural Heritage: the recognition of intangible heritage

This thesis investigates the crossover from and intersection between tangible and intangible heritage in the context of World Heritage. It does so on a conceptual level. Over the past twenty years, intangible heritage has become increasingly important in international cultural heritage conservation theory and practice. The changing conception of cultural heritage that goes beyond tangible heritage has influenced existing instruments like the 1972 UNESCO Convention concerning the protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which has traditionally been understood to deal with tangible heritage. The thesis studies how intangible heritage has been recognized and interpreted in implementing the concept of cultural heritage as defined by the World Heritage Convention. For this purpose, an understanding of the concept of intangible heritage is developed. Intangible heritage is theorized in relation to the concepts of tangible heritage, heritage value, and cultural heritage. A historical perspective aims at carving out possible stimuli coming from the international intangible heritage movement. This understanding then serves as a theoretical lens to trace the recognition of and tease out interpretations of intangible heritage in the context of implementing the concept of World Cultural Heritage. A historical development is portrayed in five time periods and for the concepts of cultural heritage, Outstanding Universal Value, the criteria to assess World Heritage value, and authenticity. Important markers are identified that demonstrate the increasing recognition of intangible heritage in the context of World Heritage as well as stimuli coming from the international intangible heritage movement. This thesis provides an important knowledge base for understanding the implementation of the Convention in a more coherent, objective, and well-informed way.